Improved cork sole for boots or shoes



NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY LYON, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 34,437, dated February18, 1862.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY LYON, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings andState of New York, have invented a new and Improved Method of MakingWater- Proof Soles, to be.

worn inside boots or shoes 5 and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description of the same. I

I dissolve gum-elastic in oil of turpentine or by any other known means.I cut or grind cork into small pieces, and mix the gum-elastic and cork,using as much of the latter as can well be united with the former. Thegumelastic readily adheres to the cork, and thus forms a compositionsubstantially cork, at-hin coating-of which I spread on cloth, havingfirst prepared the cloth by spreading on it, very sparingly, softgum-elastic. In this manner the composition is made to adhere firmly toone side of the cloth, making it on that side thor on ghly water-proof;This fabric I cut into the desired form, and thus I produce water-proofsoles. I place these soles inside boots and shoes with the compositiondown, resting on the leather, first warming the composition by the fireor in some way, and it will adhere to the leather sufficiently to holdit in its proper position. This effectually prevents all dampness fromreaching the feet by passing through the bottoms of the boots and shoes.The same end may be attained by coating the cloth with pure gum-elastic;but I prefer to use the composition described, as it is less expensive,and, I think, not so liable to be affected by changes of the atmosphere.Cork soles covered with cloth and leather are in extensive use; but mysoles can be produced at less expense, are equallyuseful, and, at leastin one respect, superior, in that they are thinner and do not occupy somuch space in the boots and shoes.

The nature of my invention consists in makin g water-proof soles fromfine cork, to be worn in boots and shoes for the purpose of prevent ingdampness from passing through the bottoms to the feet. 1

I do not claim to have first united cork with indiarubber, but to haveproduced an improved article consisting of a water-proof cork sole. Itis substantially a cork sole, only sufficient india-rubber being used tounite the particles of cork.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The improved water-proof cork sole made from fine or granulated cork, asset forth in this specification.

HENRY LYON.

In presence of- RICHARD D. MARKS, R. A. ADAMS.

